Bulgaria's center-right party wins parliamentary elections; returns to power

Boyko Borissov, former Bulgarian Prime Minister and leader of centre-right GERB party, holds his voting papers in Sofia, Sunday, Oct. 5, 2014. Opinion surveys predict the biggest vote winner will be center-right GERB party led by a former prime minister, Borisov, who says he would only continue building Bulgaria’s part of the South Stream pipeline if the EU approved. Bulgarians are voting in a parliamentary election hoping a new government will end the political stalemate, revive the economy, solve a severe banking crisis, and find ways to ease Moscow's grip on the country's energy supplies. (AP Photo/STR)
(The Associated Press)

SOFIA, Bulgaria – Former Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov is returning to power after his center-right GERB party won most seats in parliamentary elections, but fell short of a majority to govern alone.

With 99 percent of the votes counted, the GERB party leads with 32.7 percent, with the Socialists second with 15.4 percent, the Central Election Commission announced on Monday.

Borisov, 55, said after the vote that he was prepared to govern the country and left the door open for talks with possible coalition partners. He said the alternative was new elections, warning that would cause political uncertainty and financial turmoil for the European Union's poorest member state.